The most disgusting ad format

The new MSN ad format which I think it's the most disgusting format I ever seen. It appears in my MSN massager today. When you mouse over this ad, a video will pop-up.(In the bottom left of the image) But it won't close when you mouse out. It needs you to click a close button to close the window. You will say this format is actually appearing in most portals. But THIS IS A MSN MASSAGER. You will open it all the time, and the ad like the massager. It will cover all other software. When you are operating your computer, you will mouse over it accidentally all the time. I have to hidden the massager to avoid opening it.

What MSN did is too snobbish and ignore all users' feeling.....

My new blog experiment

I've set a new blog for experiment and made a Flash template for Wordpress. Now it only can display post title.....

Chinese characters

Chinese characters are quite hard to handle in browser. You can't make it too small because it's to complicated, you can't embed into flash because the file size will be too big......

The above is what I see the new PCCW Wi-Fi site in my browser. I think that the designer try to embed the Chinese font and make something wrong. I can't see the bodycopy at all. Not only in my computer, I've try other computers and come out the same result. I think that the design house should have more computers in different setting in their testing environment when dealing with Chinese in Flash.

Other than the font display problem, the interaction is quite alright.

Get the Star

There is a new hip area developed in last few year in Hong Kong - Star Street. Actually, there were only a few shops in the beginning until an enterprise's entry - Swire Properties. Obviously, it was more effective and organized. This is the website developed for Star Street by Swire Properties. Very clear and organized. Nicely done, Swire Properties's style...

What did I do recently?

I haven't updated my blog for long. So what did I do? I think you will forgive me when I show you this, my latest project showcase – citibiome.com



I've spent quite long time to do this. And I am thinking to move my blog there, and make it into flash…………

Go Shopping

A very well-designed website for a shopping mall - wtc more, Nice graphic and interaction. Howerver, I've spent some time to find out where the mall is.

O....the location is hidden in a very small footer menu. ... ...

Back from Holiday

Finally back to office after a 10-days holiday. Have passed a very healthy holiday with sun&sea; diving and windsurfing almost every day, without online for even 1 second. Felt great!!!

The network is still very slow due to the earthquake-damaged cables. Internet connection in Hong Kong should be fully restored by mid-January. The natural disasters not only exposed the weaknesses in global communications, and also the weaknesses of our modern life. Work, communication, entertainment... our daily life has linked to the network. It breaks; our life breaks. I was not in HK on the day of broken network. But I heard from the news, some teenagers expressed that they hardly spent the day without network and MSN. I may be too old to understand it. I still refuse to have network at home. I still think that I already spend too much time on facing computer.

By the way, happy new year !!!

5 cities. 1 party

Nokia will hold a global music event "Nokia New Year's Eve" in New Year's Eve in 5 cities, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Berlin, Rio and New York. The website mentions (only in Chinese, English version doesn’t mention???) that there will be some sharing and voting features online within or after the event. I'm looking forward to it. Online is the most efficient way to make "5 cities. 1 party" happens. Hope Nokia can come out some innovative idea on sharing. I think that will be cool if the online visitors can interact with the event visitors from other countries.

How much can you share with them?

Levi's has launched a new Levi's Styling Concept Website for promoting Japanese styling and Japanese style jeans. Other than the shop and product info, a contest is created to ask visitors to sharing their ideas of styling.

Thx! Web2.0, now nine out of ten online campaigns are asking you to share, your comments, your photos, your videos .... It's already too much for the consumers, especially Hong Kong people - the most conservative on expressing ourselves. I've reviewed the campaign I reported before. Vita Lemon Tea has got only 5 entries in the past 1 month; I believe 3 of them are pre-made by agency. I have said that the audiences may not be able to associate them with Vita Lemon Tea. But how about Levi's, one of the top emotional brands, now they only got 1 entry which I think it's created by agency. Let's see how many will they get finally.

Vitual Pet + Real World Offers

I think you all have experience on growing different kinds of online virtual pets and avatars. We found that most of them were failed to sustain, because the platform needs a lot of effects to maintain the momentum of participation... new dressing, new activities. A lot of online communities based on those TCG games finally ended embarrassingly because of dropping participation. However, a lot of marketers still love it. My Monkey is a new online community based on a TCG game which is growing a monkey. The community also provides a membership card with various offers. The offer information will be delivered in the game. But I don't really get their stress. It stresses on the game? or providing offering? For me, the monkey doesn't appeal to me at all, and there are not many offers......and ... the players needs to PAY !!? :0